Typewriter



Oct. 22, 1935.

H. BATES 2,018,432 `G QEWRITER Filed Jan. 11, 1934 2 Sheets-sheet 1 pcg@ Q0@ @@@QQ @T I f* @MD wf@ M j] f1.0 ,50W/49 9mm ful f Il y y Il f7 f-,f 'INVENTOR HHK/ry 5,4 T56 mmm ATTORNEY H, BATES TYPEWRITER Oct. 22, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed Jan. 1l, 1954 RQMY o T E TH MN N `R Ey o w@ n IM A H Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNTED STATES A'rEN TYPEWRITER ration of New York Application January 11, 1934, Serial No. 706,245

6 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriters in general.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide a writing machine or typewriter equipped with a plate or board provided with a plurality of character dening areas corresponding to the universal four row keyboard with the gures arranged 1n the upper row and the letters arranged in the three lower rows, in combination with a type carrier and a key operatively connected to said carrier and movable to register with the character dening area in said plate corresponding to the type desired to be selected constituting a practical typewriter suitable for use as an educational machine for children and also suitable for use by the uninitiated so-called one finger operators, which machine can be produced at such low cost that it can be used to good ad.

vantage as a feeder for the more expensive standard typewriters. The Word feeder in this instance connotes the type of machine used to interest prospective purchasers in a more expensive machine.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved typewriter having a type carrier, a chart having a plurality of character deiining areas,A and a selector cooperating with said chart and said type carrier so that registration of a character defining area by said selector will in turn position in printing position a type on said type carrier corresponding to such character defining area.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved one finger operated typewriter having a flexible band with type formations thereon, a rotatable support for said band, a universal keyboard having a plurality of character deiining areas corresponding to the type'on said band, and a selector key operatively connected to said support and movable to register with said character defining areas according to the type to be selected in turn to position a type on said flexible band corresponding to the character defining area in registration with said selector.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one specic embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detail on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail showing the escapement for the platen.

In the embodiment shown, there is provided a main frame I having two side; walls 2, 3, a front wall 4 and a rear wall 5. To the side walls 2 and 3 by means of the lugs 6, there is secured the base 10 lplate 'I preferably inclining upwardly from a point spaced from the front wall 4v to a point spaced from the rear wall 5.

On the base plate l, there is pivotally mounted as a unit the keyboard 8, and platen 9 so that 15 they may rock together into impression producing position in regard to the type ID and EI on the type carrier I2 mounted on the-segmental frame I3 secured to the cylinder I4 pivotally mounted on the post I5 extending upwardly from the base plate 1.

Extending upwardly from the sides of the base plate 'I near its rear edge are provided the ears IE for receiving the shaft Il on which the casting i8 is rotatably mounted. The casting i8 is fixed 25 to the rear ends of the arms I9 and 23 which extend forwardly and at their front ends are connected to the keyboard 8. The keyboard preferably consists of a plate having a plurality of character designating areas corresponding in notation to the notations on the keys of the universal keyboard of a typewriter.

The platen 9 is preferably journaled at its ends in the bearings 2l and 22 extending upwardly from the ends of the carriage. forming plate 23, the lower edge of which is slidably mounted in the guideway formed between the pairs of short lugs 24, the pairs` of long lugs 25 adjacent the ends of the casting I8 and the. upwardly extending arms 2G and 2l disposed approximately at the middle of the casting I8.

For resiliently anchoring the platen against rotation during printing, there is fixed to the platen at one end thereof inside the bearing 22 the toothed wheel 28 engaged by the spring detent 29 extending up from the plate 23. For line spacing the platen 9 the ends of the platen have fixed thereto the knurled knobs 30 and 3|. Any suitable additional line spacing mechanism can of course be -added if desired without interfering with the operation of this machine.l

The platen 9 can be equipped with any suitable paper guide, such as the guide plate 32 extending rearwardly and upwardly from the plate 23 and also provided with any suitable paper feed mecha- 5 Y nism, such as rollers 33 held in frictional engage Vaction of the paper.

The plate 8 is maintained in its normal raised position with its cushions 39 held against the heads 48 of the pins 4I extending upwardlyr from Vthe front ends of the base 1 by the spring 42 se-V cured to the upper face of the base 1 and engaging the lower face of the iinger 43 extending forwardly from the casting I8.

The'plate 8 is preferably provided with four rows oi.' character defining areas 44 correspondingin notation and relative spacing from one another to the keys of the universal keyboard of Va standard typewriter. These areas 44 are in the form of depressions, see Fig. 2, with which the key 45 here referred to as a universal key is intended to register to position the type on the type carrier I2. VThe type Iii and II are arranged in pairs, eachY pair corresponding to one of the areas 44 and being so arranged on the type carrier I2 that'the registration of the key 45 with anV area 44 will position one of the corresponding pair of type in printing position. VThe type carrier I2 in the present instance is preferably composed of a flexible strip of thin gauge metal into which the type I and EI have been depressed.Y The frame I3 has an arcuate portion 46 around a portion of the outer periph-y ery of which the band I2 extends being connected at its ends to the outer faces of the radially extending arms 41 and 48 of the frame I3. The band I2 is spaced from the arm 46 at the Vprinting point, at such location extending around the guide roller` 49 pivotally mounted on the pin 58 extending upwardly from the plate 5I. At the ends of the plate I, there are provided the pins 52 and 53on which the guide rollers 54 and `55 are pivotally mounted.

The plate 5I is secured to the upper end of the post 56 extending upwardly from the base plate 1. The pins 5D, 52 and 53 are long enough to permit the rollers 49,Y 54 and 55 to slide on the same when the band I2 is shifted from position for printingV lower case 'type I0 into position for printing upper case type II. v

In order to shift the band YI2 from position for printing lower case type Ill into position forV printing upper Case type II, the cylinder I4 is provided with a recess 51 to receive the curled ends o-f the bifurcated plate 58 fixed on the shaft Vto 59 journaled 1n the bearings BI) and 6i extending upwardly'from the base plate 1.

Y The ends of the shaft 59 have iixed thereon the forwardly extending shift bars 62 and V6? at the front ends of which there are formed the shift keys 64 and 65 respectively extending upwardly adjacent the rearsides of the plate 8.V

The key 45 is pivotally connected to the iront Y 44 in the plate 8 and due tothe pivotal mounting also at another time an area 44 in the lowermost row nearest the wall 4'farthest away from the cylinder I4. Y

For effecting an impression of the type It or II on the paper supported on the platen 9 after the key 45 has positioned thetype selected by registering with a corresponding area 44, it will only be necessary for the operator to depress the key 45 while in engagement with such area 44 thereby to rock the plate about its shaft I1 until the platen 9 causes the paper supported thereon to be brought into printing engagementwith the type IB, II. Y

Any suitable inking arrangement may be provided. In the present instance, an inking ribbon 13 Vis provided and mounted to be positioned between the paper and the type so that the depression of the plate 8 will cause the ribbon13 to be impinged between the paper on the platen 9 and the type Il) or II. 'Ihe spring 42 upon re-r lease Vof the key 45 will in turn return the platen 9 and plate 8 to normal non-printing position.

For letter spacing the type any suitable escapement may be provided. In the present inu stance, the carriage forming plate 23 has formed thereon a rearwardly extending Aiiange 14 on the rear edge of which there are formed ratchet teeth 15 to be engaged by the upper end of the pawl ES of the bell crank lever 11 pivotally con- Y nected to the ear 18 extending upwardly from the base plate 1. VrI'he'arm 80 of the lever 11 has its tree end disposed under the stop lug Si formed at the upper end of the iinger 82 extending upwardly from the base plate 1. The arm 26 of the casting I8 has a roller 83 Ymounted thereon to engage the upper face of the arm The upwardly extending arm 84 of the lever 11 is connected by the spring 85 with the abutment 85 on the casting I8. Y

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that when the plate 8 is depressed to actuate the carriage 23 into printing position, it will rock the roller 83 of the arm 26 out of engagement with the arm 80 of the lever 11 to permit the spring S5 to rock the lever 11 about its pivotal point so that the toothed end of the arm 84 will be in position upon the release of the plate S to 'engage the succeedingtooth 15 on the flange 'i4 and. thereupon when the platen E! and carriage 23 move into non-printing position, the roller 83 will engage the upper edge ofthe arm 3e to rock the lever 11 when the carriage 23 and platen 9 will be advanced a letter space.

For advancing .the platen 9 and carriage 23 a blank letter space, this saine mechanism is operated by the depression ofthe piate 8 except that the type carrier I2 will be positioned so that a blank space onY the same, to wit theblank space 81, will register at the printing location. The band I2 in the present instance is provided with four such blank spaces corresponding withV the areas 8S on the extension 8S which are so positioned relative to the blank spaces 81 on the band i2 that when they are engaged by the key they will locate a blank space 8'! on the band 1l2 at the printing position on the roller 4S.

The ribbon 13 in the present instance extends from the supply reel 90 to the take-up reel el. The supply reel is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the post 92 extending upwardly from the base plate I. The take-up reel 9| is secured to the post 93 rotatably mounted between the upper end of the bracket 94 and the base plate 1. The post 93 has fixed thereon the toothed wheel 95 which is engaged by the holding pawl 96 extending from the bracket 94 and also adapted to be engaged by the pawl 91 extending from the casting i3. The pawl 91 is so positioned relative to the toothed wheel 95 that upon the release of the plate 8 after effecting an impression, the pawl 9'! will engage the toothed Wheel 95 to advance it one tooth space and therewith the feed of the ribbon 'i3 one tooth space.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that it would be a comparatively simple matter to change over a machine made according to the present invention for a language having different characters. In order to change over a machine initially equipped for use with the characters of the English language into a machine for use with the characters of the Arabic language, as an instance, it would only be necessary to remove the type carrying band l2 having characters of the English language impressed thereon and substitute for it a type carrying band having characters of the Arabic language thereon and in turn either to place a second plate over the plate 8 having characters of the Arabic language marked thereon or else to remove the plate 8 and its side bars I9 and 29 and substitute therefor a new plate with its side bars similar to the side bars I9 and 2B in which the new plate has formed thereon characters of the Arabic language, in which case it may of course be necessary to substitute letters for some of the punctuation marks 'or the like. In a similar manner, a machine initially equipped to print characters of the English language can also be converted into a coding or decoding machine or a machine for use by the blind. It is of course also obvious that this machine can be initially equipped to print characters of a foreign language or characters usable with a code and the like without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with a main frame, of a secondary frame pivotally connected on a horizontal axis to said main frame, a plate constituting a keyboard having a plurality of character designating areas corresponding in number and position to the keys of a universal keyboard at one end of said secondary frame, a paper support carried by the other end of said secondary frame to move therewith, means for actuating said paper support to register successive areas at a common printing area, a shaft mounted to extend upwardly from said main frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft, an arcuate bracket extending laterally from said sleeve and having an arcuate surface substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said sleeve, a bracket secured to said main frame and having a pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of shorter radius than the radius of said arcuate surface disposed between said arcuate surface and said paper support and rotatably mounted on said pin, a iiexible band having type formed thereon corresponding to the character designating areas on said keyboard and, secured at its ends to said arcuate bracket to extend around said arcuate surface and said roller, the type of said band being movable into and out of a common printing position on that portion of the periphery of said roller nearest to said paper support in accordance with the motion of said arcuate bracket, and a type selector connected to said sleeve to oscillate with said sleeve about said shaft and to oscillate independently of said sleeve about a horizontal axis, said selector being guided by said keyboard to actuate said sleeve and arcuate bracket and thereby select the type desired,

the actuation of said selector about its horizontal axis in a downward direction effecting the actuation of said keyboard and thereby the actuation of said paper support into engagement with the type selected and positioned on said roller in said common printing area to form an impression of the type so positioned.

2. In a typewriter, a main frame, a secondary 20 frame pivotally mounted transversely of the main frame and having a platen carried by one end thereof to move therewith and a plate constituting a keyboard carried by the other end thereof, said keyboard having character indicia arranged 'thereon corresponding in numberand position to the keys of a universal keyboard, a shaft extending upwardly from the main frame intermediate the ends of the secondary frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft and extending thereabove, the portion of the sleeve above the shaft being diametrically slotted, a type positioning segment fixed to the upper end of said sleeve and having an arcuate face concentric with the shaft and confronting said platen, a bracket secured 1:'

te said main frame and having a pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of materially shorter radius than the radius of said arcuate face disposed in engagement with said arcuate face and between said arcuate face and said platen and rotatably mounted on said pin, a flexible band having type formed thereon corresponding to the character designating areas on said keyboard and secured at its ends to the ends of said arcuate face and extending from one end to the other partly around said arcuate face and partly around said roller, the type on said iiexible band being movable into and out of a common printing position on that portion of the periphery of said roller nearest to said paper support in accord-ance with the motion of the type positioning segment to present a selected type in opposition to said platen,v and an actuating member mounted in said slot for oscillation with said sleeve about the axis of the shaft and for oscillation independent of said sleeve about a horizontal axis and having a type selector on its forward end movable toward and from said shaft for positioning over a selected unit of the type indicia to engage and depress the keyboard and thereby tilt the secondary frame and urge the platen toward the selected type.

3. The combination with a main frame, of a secondary frame pivotally connected on a horizontal axis to said main frame, a plate constituting a keyboard having a plurality of character designating areas corresponding in number and position to the keys of a universal keyboard at one end of said secondary frame, a paper support carried by the other end of said secondary frame to move therewith, means for actuating said paper support to register successive areas at a common printing area, a shaft mounted to extend upwardly from said main frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft, an arcuate bracket extending laterally from said sleeve and having an arcuate surface substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said sleeve, a bracket secured to said main frame and having a pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of Yshorter radius than the radius of said arcuate surface disposed between said arcuate surface and said paper support and rotatably mounted on said pin, a flexible band having type formed thereon corresponding to the character designat- Y recess in kits arcuate face to receive said band and roller to guide the same against displacement, and a type selector connected to said sleeveV to oscillate with said sleeve about said shaft and to oscillate independently of said sleeve about a horizontal axis, said selector being guided by said keyboard to actuate said sleeve and arcuate bracket and thereby select the type desired, the

actuation of said selector about its horizontal axis ln a downward direction effecting the actuation of said keyboard and thereby the actuation of said paper support into engagement with the type selected and positioned on said roller in said common printing area to form an impression of the type sopositioned. l

4. In a typewriter, a main frame, a secondary frame pivotally mounted transverselyV of the main frame and having a platen carried by one end thereof to move therewith and a plate constituting a keyboard carried by the other end thereof, said keyboard having character indicia arranged thereon corresponding in number and position to the keys of a universal keyboard, a shaft extending upwardly from the main frame intermediate the ends of the secondary frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft and extending thereabove, the portion of the sleeve above the shaft being diametrically slotted, a type positioning segment fixed to the upper end of saidsleeve and having an arcuate face concentric with the shaft and confronting Vsaid platen, a bracket secured to said'main frame and having a pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of materially shorter radius than the radius :of said arcuate face disposed in engagement with and partly around said roller, the type on said flexible band being movable into 'and out of a common printing position on that portion of the periphery of said roller nearestV to said paper support in accordance with the motion of the type positioning segment to presenta selected type in opposition Vto saidplaten, said type positioning segment having a recess in its arcuate face to reeeive said band and roller to guide the same against displacement, and an actuating member mounted in said slot for oscillation with said sleeve about the axis of the shaft and for oscillation independent of said sleeve about a horizontal axis and having a type selector onV its forward end movable toward and from said shaft for positioning over a selected unit of thetype indicia to engage and depress the keyboard and thereby tilt the secondary frame and urge the platen toward the selected type. Y

5. The combination with a main frame of a secondary frame pivotally connected on a hori-V zontal axis to said main frame, a plate constituting a keyboard having a plurality of character designating areasv corresponding in number and position to the keys of a universal keyboard at one end of said secondary frame, a paper support carried by the other end of said secondary frame to move therewith, means for actuating saidpa-V per support to register successive areas at a coinmon printing area, a shaft mounted to extend upwardly from said main frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft, an arcuate bracket extending laterally from said sleeve and havingV an arcuate surface substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said sleeve, a bracket see cured to said main frame and having a'pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of shorter radius than the radius of said arcuate surface disposed between said arcuate surface and said paper support and slidably and rotatably mountand roller to guide the same against displacement, a type selector connected to said sleeve to oscillate with said sleeve about said shaft and to oscillate independently of said sleeve about a horizontal axis, said selector being guided by said keyboard to actuate said sleeve and arcuate bracket and thereby select the type desired, the actuation of said selector about its horizontal axis in a downward direction effecting the actuation of said keyboard and thereby the actuation of said paper support into engagement withthe. type selected and positioned on said roller in said common printing area to form an impression of the type so positioned, said band having two rows of typeV thereon, and means to vertically shift said sleeve to position the band according to the row of type in which a type ris selected.

6. In a typewriter, a main frame, a secondary frame pivotally mounted transversely of the main frame and having a platen carried by one end thereof to move therewith and a plate constitut Y ing a keyboard carried by the other end thereof, said keyboard havingcharacter indicia arranged thereon corresponding innumber and position to the keys of a universal keyboard, a shaft extending upwardly from the main frame intermediate the ends of the secondary frame. a sleeve rotatably mounted lon said shaft and extending thereabove,V the portion of the sleeve above the shaft being diametrically slotted, a type positioning segment fixed to the upper end of said sleeve and having an arcuate face Vconcentric with the shaft and confronting said platen, a bracket secured to said main frame and having a pin extending upwardly therefrom, a roller of materially shorter radius than the radius of saidarcuate face'disposed in engagement with said arcuate face and between said arcuate face and said platen and slidably and rotatably mounted on said pin, a exible band having type formed thereon corresponding to the character designating areas on said keyboard and secured at its ends to the ends of said arcuate face and extending from one end to the other partly around said arcuate face and partly around said roller, the type on said flexible band being movable into and out of a common printing position on that portion of the periphery of said roller nearest to said paper support in accordance with the motion of the type positioning segment to present a selected type in opposition to said platen, said arcuate bracket having a recess in its arcuate face to receive said band and roller to guide the same against displacement, an actuating member mounted in said slot for oscillation with said sleeve about the axis of the shaft and for oscillation independent of said sleeve about a horizontal axis and having a type selector on its forward end movable toward and from said shaft for positioning over a selected unit of the type indicia to engage and depress the keyboard and thereby tilt the secondary frame and urge the platen toward the selected type, said band having two longitudinally extending parallel rows of type thereon, and means to vertically shift said sleeve and thereby said roller to position the band according to the row of type in which a type is selected without affecting the position of said bracket.

HARRY BATES. 

